Report: Pennsylvania gets mixed reviews on voter access, registration

Jason LaughlinOf The Philadelphia Inquirer

Pennsylvania does a good job training poll workers, accommodating disabled voters and keeping records, but is a laggard when it comes to offering online registration and early voting, according to a recent watchdog report.

Common Cause, the Washington D.C.-based nonprofit think tank, graded the Keystone State and nine other swing states on issues including polling staff competence, resources for non-English speakers and voter registration practices. The study evaluated the states' progress in implementing 19 recommendations made in January by the Presidential Commission on Election Administration.

According to the findings, Pennsylvania scored satisfactory on six, unsatisfactory on six, and had mixed results on the rest.

"Pennsylvania did fare rather poorly in some of these recommendations that other states are doing to ensure that voting remains fair and accessible," Stephen Spaulding, one of the report's authors, told reporters in a teleconference.

The state scored well on handicapped accessibility, training for poll workers and record keeping and the average wait time for voters. But online registration and early voting were among its flaws.

"Online registration makes standing up to be counted more convenient and accessible," the report stated.

Issues that received mixed reviews in Pennsylvania included assistance for voters who don't speak or read English well and the state's ability to audit voting machines or polling stations' efficiency.

Also evaluated in the study were Arkansas, Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan and North Carolina.

Pennsylvania has limited ability to address some of the areas cited in the report, Department of State spokesman Ron Ruman said, because counties have a great deal of autonomy when it comes to voting procedures and other changes, such as allowing online registration, require action from the legislature.

The advantage of local control is the ability to address a community's specific needs, Ruman said.

Pennsylvania is working on a new and comprehensive training video for poll workers and legislation has been proposed to allow online registration.